Dubai: Newcomers Al Tadawi 1 made an instant impact while securing a stunning 3-1 victory over defending champions Zabeel as the volleyball competition of the 12th Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament got under way at the Nad Al Sheba Sports Hall.
Participating in the tournament for the first time with players mainly from Dynamo Moscow, one of Russia’s most prestigious clubs, Al Tadawi 1 fought back from a set down to open the volleyball tournament with a 3-1 victory over defending champions, Zabeel.
Brimming with confidence, Zabeel dominated much of the first set to secure a close 27-25 win and go clear 1-0. But, with Maksim Sapozhkov, Denis Bogdan, Anton Semyshev and Ilia Vlasov finding their rhythm it seemed to be the night of the underdogs as Al Tadawi 1 ran away with the next three sets, 25-20, 25-23 and 25-21 to lodge the first major upset of the volleyball competition.
Sapozhkov was rightly adjudged the Most Valuable Player for a game-high 16 points, followed by Bogdan (13) and 12 points apiece from Semyshev and Vlasov.
With neither of the teams allowing each other any liberty, it all boiled down to the versatile outside hitter and player of the match Luca Porro, who topscored with 22 points, even as his teammates Tommaso Stefani – who was menacing both in the attack and blocking while adding 20 valuable points – Mattia Orioli (18) and Fabian Plak (14) that eventually tipped the scales in favour of Al Ameed.
Tug-of-War continues
The tug-of-war championships entered its second day, witnessing some more intense competition and excitement among participating teams in all three categories.
The National Guards secured their second straight win with a smooth 2-0 win against Dubai Police, while the Ministry of Defence got the better of Dubai State Security Department, 2-0 even as Ras Al Khaimah Civil Defence brushed aside Dubai Civil Defence 2-0 and the Land Forces beat the Ministry of Education, 2-0 in the Government Departments and Institutions category.
Competition in the Community category too was stiff with the IFBB Academy defeating the Dulsco Group, Transguard Group skipped past Al Musalmani, EFS Champions beat Agnes Contracting, Al Jawarih defeated Al Habtoor Group and Dutco Group tamed Al Sahel Company.
